The Gophers football team plays at West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday, with a chance to double its victory total.
A victory would be a shame for everyone who isn't related to Tim Brewster or a senior player on the team. Winning, at this point of Brewster's tenure, would only complicate the timing of his departure.
I don't believe Brewster has a chance to return in 2011. If he is indeed fired, here's how the rest of this autumn could, and certainly should, play out:
1 FIRE BREWSTER NOW
The University should have fired him Monday, after the Wisconsin loss. Now he faces two winnable games, at Purdue and home against a bad Penn State team.
Firing him after a victory is not likely, but the next time his team looks inept, it will be time to make the decision and begin the search for his replacement.
2 HIRE GLEN MASON AS AT LEAST A TEMP
The trickiest aspect of these decisions is their timing. There is a reason few colleges fire football coaches during the season -- because football, unlike baseball or basketball, is a complex bureaucracy that can topple when the balance of power is altered at the top.